


The letters they kept

by GuraKruor



Category: Tenkuu no Escaflowne | The Vision of Escaflowne
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-11
Updated: 2017-12-11
Packaged: 2019-02-13 08:39:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12980304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GuraKruor/pseuds/GuraKruor
Summary: A year prior to the series Eries has an interesting encounter with an old acquaintance; both have letters that didn’t reach each other.





	The letters they kept

**Author's Note:**

> **DISCLAIMER** : This is a non-profit fanfic, The Vision of Escaflowne is property of Shoji Kawamori and Sunrise, please support the official release.
> 
> Hey there Pethics! I hope you to have a Merry Winter and a Happy New Year ~
> 
> This fic is my gift to you, and as you are also a fellow FolkEries shipper I hope you find this story of your liking, sorry for the grammar —spanish is my native language— and the general lack of knowledge about asturian royalty protocols during celebrations.

It was during the Summer Ball, most gaean countries celebrated the First Solstice during the Orange, 21st* Moon with different variations. Fanelia, Daedalus and Egzardia had festivals right now whereas Freid held religious ceremonies and the same was true for Basram and Chezario; meanwhile the Zaibach Empire, secretive as ever, was still a mystery. But everybody knew Asturia, one of the richest lands, liked to have carnivals for the plebeians and balls for the nobles; is in the biggest and fanciest of the kingdom where our tale takes place.

The plethora of people with a myriad of different attires was astounding; not only were the asturian nobles there but also important members from other courts. As Gaea had more than a hundred countries and lesser lands at least one envoy attended to the gala; if you looked closely you could almost know from where some hailed but not all were from big and recognizable lands.

The first part of the celebration in the castle was a feast; tables full of food from every corner of the realm were prepared only for the guests to dine. King Grava Aston preceded the main seat of the main table with Maiden Fassa at his left, at the left side of his friend were the King’s daughters; Eries Aria Aston, Second Princess of Asturia, was the closest to him while Millerna Sarah Aston, Third Princess of Asturia, was at her left side. After the first toast for the prosperous harvest to come that summer, everybody started their meal and meanwhile conversed to each other.

Both princesses were like day and night, Millerna sported a sleeveless dress with a pink torso piece covered with a white pointed piece for her cleavage the same shade as her long gloves and a light pink long skirt . Eries wore a conservative gown not so different than the usual ones she usually wore, white long sleeved torso piece with puffy shoulders and a refined neck piece to accentuate it, she also wore a green bodice with silver motifs; her white skirt was long and slim .  
Eries was performing quite well her duty as a princess, a perfect model for her sister to follow yet, instead of just focusing on her meal she was discreetly admonishing Millerna to not overwhelm a Basram Countess next to her with intrusive questions about their brand new government system.

Aside from said incident the evening was eventless yet, Eries felt as if somebody was looking at her with great intensity; when she observed everyone from behind her lashes while sipping from her cup of vino, the feeling stopped so she couldn’t locate the source.

The first dance was like the past years’, unknown dancing partner after another, all with its respective hollow polite chat. After about a dozen old and young men, Eries was tired and choose to retreat; the closest spot was an empty balcony. The princess closed the white doors with pristine glasses and went to see the gardens bellow from her upper position.

Eries looked to the sky, it was the darkest blue she had seen in all the year; the stars shone brightly and even a glimpse of the Mystic Moon could be spot. She breathed the warm yet cold air of the night and smiled with nostalgia; resting her elbows in the veranda and whistled a tune from a far away country .

“It has been a long time since I heard that tune from other person that wasn’t me,” a deep unknown voice interrupted the princess.

She turned around and took her fist to her chest; the man she found was tall and with a dark cloak covering most his body. His attire wasn’t common for someone attending a celebration; it was more akin for a funeral or a lecture but she recognized it as zaibachean.

“It’s rude to startle someone like this,” the princess performed her big sister act and was starting to leave the balcony when he countered.

“And it’s impolite to not greet a foreign envoy,” he smiled and knew his move wasn’t proper but now he had her attention; she was the epitome of etiquette.

“I suppose you’re the one at fault, Lord...” she left his name unsaid, waiting for him to tell her since she didn’t knew him.

“Folken, Strategos of the Zaibach Empire,” he presented himself flatly bowing a little his head.

“Folken,” she repeated a little unsure and not looking at the man’s face with curiosity.

For his face’s features she knew he was older than her, for about three years at most, his hair was of a quite odd shade and style but his country was known for sporting extravagant people. However, she had only known one person with teal hair in all her life and he also had dark red eyes like this man’s; that without taking into account the fact that both had the same name.

“But Folken is dead,” she blurted out, as if that truth was solid as a stone.

“Indeed, and yet here he stands in front of you, Princess Eries.”

For a moment, she felt lightheaded, thankfully there was a table with chairs used to drink tea in the balcony for she walked there and took a seat. She had lots of questions and truths floating around her mind, the fanelian prince died ten years ago performing the Dragon slaying ritual of succession to claim the throne as his as tradition dictated. The princess has grieved for him when she knew about this and since that day he had lived in her memories but not in flesh.

“May I accompany you and take a seat?” he walked to the chair in front of her and she nodded giving him permission.

It was odd, both saw each other clearly just with the Moons’ light since the table was far from the window and almost no illumination came from the salon where the ball was being held. When they met for the first time it was during the day in a sunny garden, both were young and naïve full of wonder about what the world could show them. Now both were adults, surely clever and ready for what the world could throw at them.

“I know this in improper from my part and I apologize for my behaviour, it’s just that I haven’t seen a known face in a long time and couldn’t resist anymore,” he was already sitting and bowing his head again in signal of his repentance.

“You’re not prince Folken,” she told him with a cold voice, “He died valiantly ten years ago, please don’t soil his name, Lord _Strategos_.”

“I’m glad you haven’t changed, always sincere and straight to the point, aren’t you?” he smiled.

Eries kept observing the man in front of her, lips pressed in a straight line and furrowed eyebrows; this man had the nerve to continue his charade and didn’t looked remorseful, not even one bit. She rose from her seat and started to leave the balcony for a second time, without giving the man a second glance for she knew she could start an international conflict at this point.

“Good evening, Lord Strategos, I must return to the gala,” a mask of indifference were her features, she had mastered it through the pass of the years but inside she was boiling on rage.

The man was probably inebriated or wanted to tease her, to see a glimpse of the emotion she had covered with layers and layers of etiquette. The so called Folken followed her and tried to stop her by touching her shoulder with something that felt like a hand but was cold as metal, Eries’ turned around and slapped him in the face, she had tears pooling in her eyes.

“I deserve that and more,” he probably felt just a sting in his face but it was starting to redden, yet he didn’t tended to it and was looking at her in the eye.

“Of course you do, and if you don’t want me to call the guards I advise you to not come near me again,” her voice was firm but she wanted to cry a river out of anger; she looked at the mechanical arm that was still holding her and couldn’t stop the fear it caused in her.

“I understand but please take this,” he took a letter from inside his cloak and gave it to her, “Burn it, tear it, do as you please but read it, that’s all I ask.”

Eries took the envelope and clenched it so strongly that the paper inside was surely wrinkled at this point; she left the balcony running as fast as her skirt allowed her and returned to the gala but went straight to her room. The princess did a good effort by concealing the letter from prying eyes and was torn between the idea of throwing it to the garbage or keeping it to have some proof of Zaibach wicked ways for the future.

She closed the door with a key after reaching her quarters and put the damned letter inside the jeweller on her vanity, kicking her high heeled boots she jumped to her bed and muted a shout with a pillow. Eries was furious, that envoy had ruined her night and she couldn’t even think straight thanks to him; after an hour sulking and muting her screams from time to time she woke up and went to read what was inside the envelope.

She cut the side of the letter with a letter cutter, taking care of not breaking the Strategos’ seal in the front; it was directed at her from what the stylized yet sober calligraphy said behind the envelope and so she took a thick package of paper sheets. That kind of parchment was like the one you could find on books, to have it on separate sheets meant he was actually rich but it didn’t mattered to her in that moment; what was written there was more important.

_My dear Eries:_

_If you’re reading this it means that I wasn’t successful tonight as I already feared, as expected of the Ice Princess of Asturia but I can’t blame you. I know it’s hard to believe but try to keep an open mind to what I am about to tell you. That ill-fated day, when I was going to take my rightful place as King of Fanelia I failed to slay the dragon of the ritual; to be honest I went to all the intent of finishing my task and performing my duty but I couldn’t. I hesitated for a moment, left my guard drop and yet the dragon felt threatened and acted with instinct by taking my arm._

Eries stopped for a moment and remembered what one of Fanelia advisors told her a month after the incident: All what’s left from him is his right arm. If memory served her right, that was the hand this fake Folken missed, the one he replaced with one of those mysterious prosthetics she had heard Millerna mention some years ago. Observing the calligraphy, pretty and yet with a tint of brashness, she noticed it actually matched the late prince’s... but anybody could fake that so she resumed her read.

_I was ready to die the wound was fatal and I had lost a big amount of blood... but then, it retreated and so I fainted. When I woke up was greeted for none other than Emperor Dornkirk himself, he saved my life by treating my wounds and gifted me a new arm._

_If by now the tale was becoming more like a tale, Eries didn’t cared, she was reading just to reach the end but drinking each word like water; she didn’t stopped to check the reasoning behind all. What came next was a pretty complicated; the man narrated how he went from rescued prince to an apprentice of the magicians and thereafter how he became the Strategos of the Zaibach Empire, only outranked by the Emperor himself._

Every sheet from the envelope had different dates and looked as old as they claimed to be, the oldest was from eight years ago and the newest had three years of antiquity. The first page of the package explained the reason of the weird dates.

_What you’re about to read, if you still think it’s worth the effort, are the letters I wrote to you the last eight years, yet I couldn’t find the strength to send them. How could I? I already knew you thought I was dead and probably would put you in danger. But I think the time has come for me to come clear to you, that’s at least what I owe you: my truest friend._

_Your humble friend, Folken Lacour de Fanel, now Strategos of the Zaibach Empire._

And with that the tale came to its end; Eries’ eyes were red after missing that night of sleep, she opened a box that was hidden inside a draw from her desktop. It was full of letters, some sealed and some open; the closed ones were tied by a green lace bow and ordered by date, the opened ones were tied with a red lace and ordered the same way. The princess took some parchment from another draw along with her writing tools, a quill and a feather.

It was after readying her tools that she came to a loss of words, what would she write to him? “Thank you for letting me know you aren’t dead but you were ten years late”, in fact she didn’t even knew if the letter could reach him or if he still was in the Palace. That was one Eries’ issues, she thought a lot for her own good, scenarios about how to hand him the letter were taking place in her mind and even how he could react; in the end she breathed and started to write the first thing that came to her mind.

Eries finished the letter and put it inside an envelope, looking at the box with unopened missives she took them and wrapped the old with the new one with some parchment, folding the corners she made a bigger envelope and sealed it with candle wax. She already knew that sending them to a man that was probably a faker was kind of dangerous, but what damage could cause some letters to a friend? There wasn’t sensitive information inside; they had stories about the daily life of a boring girl who preferred to read in her room instead of riding horses or having affairs with pretty knights.

The princess changed clothes, she had a gray dress accompanied by a head piece to cover her hair, it was the same attire she wore when she to visit the capital markets with Millerna —surprisingly enough it was Eries’ idea to go disguised as nuns. As she had organized the logistics of the gala Eries knew where each envoy was accommodated, it was quite easy to reach Zaibach’s.

Eries knocked three times to the door of the Strategos and waited for somebody to open, that was his assigned room. About two minutes later the tall man opened the door and she almost threw him the package in his hand before giving him a courteous bow and leaving the aisle as fast as she could.

When she reached a corner she turned there and rested against the wall, her face was red and not for the effort of walking fast, in fact her heart almost exploded when he opened the door with his hair down and without the black cloak. It was him, that was Folken and all she could do was shove the package of letters without even giving him a word. Nobody could take her as a coward, her fame as the Ice Princess had made her look to the people as a hard woman but she was just actually an introverted woman. As soon as she retrieved her breath and calmed down, Eries returned to her room and lied in her bed without actually sleeping.

Folken stood there and smiled before closing the door, he had taken the letters with his normal hand and sat in the desktop of the room that was assigned to him. The wrapping had a seal he knew too well and it was addressed to him —it said “To The Strategos of Zaibach”. When he cut the seal using his mechanical claw he found lots of envelopes tied by a green bow and one free on top of them that wasn’t sealed; he opened that letter and started to read its contents.

_Dear Folken:_

_I finished the letters you gave me tonight, to be honest it was quite hard to believe what was inside of them but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. From the wording to the details and calligraphy I must tell you it all matches, if you know me you already imagined I was going to check it all._

And she was right, he knew she was an intelligent woman and a sceptic by heart, after chuckling a little he resumed his read.

_As you so kindly gave me the letters that were for me I’ll reciprocate the gift and will give you the ones you couldn’t read all this years. Some reached your homeland and were returned to me by Balgus himself, he was the one who gave me the news of your failing at the dragonslaying ritual and yet I couldn’t stop to write them as I usually did each month. Of course most are from dates after you left but it was kind of relaxing to write them and helped me to cope in a sense, be it your disappearance or something else._

_What more can I say? I’ve been doing fine and from what I read you have a successful career in Zaibach, I’m actually thinking to tell your brother about your real whereabouts but anybody would label me as mental. In any case, I hope you to be fine but you already know that any interchange of correspondence between each other could be taken as something else by any of our countries._

_Your worried friend, Eries Aria Aston, Third Princess of Asturia._

The Strategos proceeded to read the contents of the unopened letters; as the sun started to rise he knew his time in Asturia came to an end but finished his read in the carriage that took him to the Vione and in the Flying Fortress itself. He had to give her credit, she had actually written him a letter each month even if she already knew he wasn’t around and a knot of guilt started to press tighter his heart because he had stopped to do so three years ago.

As he remembered how the whole deal with the letters had started it made him almost laugh; both were promised to each other and sent a letter each month but had never met until ten years ago on Fanelia. Eries had visited his homeland with her family, of course he already had a grasp as to how she looked and so did she about him, their parents have been kind to interchange small portraits but reality defeated what any artist could portray.

Everybody spoke about the beauty of Marlene Therese Aston, First Princess of Asturia, but to Folken she paled in comparison to her younger sister for she not only was beautiful in the outside but also had a clever mind and a kind heart. After having a long chat about books and biding her farewell the content of the letters of both youths had changed a little, they weren’t just obligations but actually entertaining to read and write.

He looked at Palas as they left Asturia, he knew she was in the Palace and instinctively put his eyes where he thought the building was.

 _Soon_ , he thought, _the Emperor’s dream is coming close and when it becomes reality we’ll see each other again._

Folken went to his quarters and started to write a letter, since that day he hadn’t stopped to do so even if they wouldn’t reach her until meeting each other in person and yet he was eager to get an answer nonetheless.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry if Eries and Folken are out of character and the whole scenario is pretty bad; you’re one of the experts on the ship and would’ve written it better than me.
> 
> Oddly enough I wrote this thinking about [This Wicked Waltz „Trędowata”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDL15Rox43c) by Wojciech Kilar in the background —I recommend you to listen to it starting from the first dance of the gala to when Eries leaves the balcony, but don't watch the video!— but actually wrote it while listening to the album “Ammonia Avenue Remastered” by The Alan Parsons Project.
> 
> *Gaean Orange, 21st Moon is our June 21st, the first day of Summer; that’s assuming seasons, equinoxes and solstices work the same there than on Earth. And you might wonder, why a Summer Ball instead of a Winter one? Well, that’s due to the lack of color for December in their calendar.


End file.
